Home delivery: environmental solution or disaster?

Cairns, S;
(1998)
Home delivery: environmental solution or disaster?
In:
(Proceedings) Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Institute of Logistics, Birmingham NEC -Logistics - Living in the real world.

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

16-18 June, 1998

Type:

Proceedings paper

Title:

Home delivery: environmental solution or disaster?

Event:

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Institute of Logistics, Birmingham NEC -Logistics - Living in the real world

Dates:

16 June 1998 - 18 June 1998

Additional information:

Over the last 30 years, shopping has gone through a period of major changes, commonly characterised as a retail revolution. However, the huge wave of out-of-town development which swept the country is now largely at an end, following the dictates of planning policy guidance issued in 1996, which placed a renewed emphasis on town centre sites. Since then, the retail sector has been looking for a new winning formula, and delivering goods directly to the customer is seen as one way of gaining markets in the future. According to the Henley Centre for Forecasting, 28% of the population is already very interested, and 42% are somewhat interested in home shopping. In anticipation of this interest, for example, Boots has just launched a Mother & Baby catalogue and Marks and Spencers is experimenting with a new home shopping service in Scotland and SE England. Most of the major food retailers are also involved in trial schemes. This paper explores why home shopping is taking off, and what its transport impacts are likely to be. Some see it as an environmental solution, as home shopping schemes could reduce car dependence, and hence, the amount of private car traffic. Others are concerned that it could be an environmental disaster, by generating large numbers of extra van trips. It is argued here that an important split is emerging between home delivery of food and home delivery of non-food goods, and that there are a number of important issues to be considered when setting up schemes, which could help to avoid environmental disaster, and to maximise the benefits that schemes might bring